Optimism Foundation Releases 343M OP Tokens into Circulation

The Optimism Foundation is set to release 343 million OP tokens into circulation from May 2026 to April 2027, increasing the circulating supply by about 15%. The total token supply stands at 4.295 billion, with roughly half still locked or reserved.

To counter potential sell pressure, a new mechanism will use 50% of Superchain revenue to buy back OP tokens from the market.

The Foundation has also paused its Retro Funding program, which had 775 million OP tokens reserved for rewarding ecosystem contributors. This supply change and buyback plan are expected to influence OP's market dynamics for years to come.